Columbus, Ohio USA
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Dis 'n' Data
By Margaret Marten, Editor
email margaret@shortnorth.com
Starbucks in the Short North.-- Photo/Darren Carlson [July 2007]
Seattle-based Starbucks Corp., which had annual sales of $7.8 billion in 2006, has added a Short North site to its 13,000-plus locations around the globe. The business opened in the Yukon building at 601 N. High St. on June 11. The opening of Starbucks in the Short North might be considered the beachhead of a corporate franchise invasion of the neighborhood. Still, the calculatedly hip atmosphere and high-priced coffee admittedly lend it a certain dignity denied other ubiquitous institutions like McDonald’s, the fast-food giant whose presence in the Short North was forestalled in the early ‘80s by a group of Italian Village residents. One of those anti-franchise warriors, Larry Brown, wasn’t upset at the Starbucks development. “Starbucks doesn’t bother me,” he said. “Where they’re at, I think they’re going to draw some from the Convention Center, which is more or less what we wanted when we started working on the Cap, to be able to draw from that area. Before the Cap, it seemed like the Short North was so divided from the Convention area. Now people can walk into the Short North without feeling like they’re being suspended in air over a highway. I think they’re close enough to the Cap, which has some higher-priced venues down there, that it might work.” Brown also noted that it was the French fry odor, the drive-through noise, the traffic, the litter, and the idea of a drearily identical McDonald’s building that the neighbors opposed.
Meanwhile, The UPS Store opened next to Starbucks in the Yukon Building at 605 N. High St., and owner Bobbie Jacobowitz is inviting the public to the store’s grand opening celebration on Saturday, July 14, which will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, free gifts and sweets. As part of the celebration, the store will offer 4 cent black-and-white copies and free mailbox services throughout July and August. For a complete overview of their many services, visit www.theupsstore.com. The Short North location is open Monday through Saturday. Call Bobbie at 614-458-1126 for more information.
Cool and colorful handmade treats will soon be available at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in the heart of the Short North at 714 N. High St. at the corner of Lincoln in the space vacated by Art Impressions six months ago. Owner, Jeni Britton is well-known for her creative and passionate pursuit of unique varieties of ice cream. Her efforts have resulted in over 30 flavors, including 17 regularly rotating new or seasonal selections available at all her shops. Jeni’s first retail effort, Scream, opened at the North Market in 1996 and lasted four years. She reopened as Jeni’s there in 2002 and expanded to Grandview Heights last year. With the help of her business partners, husband Charly Bauer and his brother Tom, the new shop is slated to start up mid-July. It’s a relatively small space, but Jeni explained that she had been trying to get a store in the Short North for years, waiting for the perfect place, and that this small quaint space is what she had in mind. The store will look different from her Grandview shop. “As a small local company, I really believe in letting the neighborhood inspire us and guide us,” she said. “It makes me so proud. When you look up and down the street in areas like the Short North and Grandview, you just see local businesses and get that regional, specialty, local flair. We’re definitely in it for the love of the business and our customers. This is my life.”
Unique-minded individuals continue to take strides into the Short North. The designer toy store and art gallery Rivet opened in June at 1200 N. High St. just south of Fifth Avenue next to Galeria Zona Corazon. Owner Laura Kuenzli developed the unusual hobby of designer toy collection after spotting some Japanese toys in a booth at a comic convention and eventually felt inspired to open a shop devoted to these uncanny collectibles. Some of the designer toys are inexpensive enough for kids (like the Ugly Dolls), but most are too specialized and expensive for youngsters. Designer toys are not mass-produced items, but mainly limited-edition and hand-crafted. “We got a toy in last week,” Laura said, “and it was an edition of 500, and it was something that had been anticipated for about two years in the making. I had eight and I sold out.” Some of the toys are manufactured to act as blank canvasses for artists. In addition to toys, underground, low-brow and pop surrealist art is on display at Rivet. During July, a traveling national show “GimmeShelter” representing an international effort to highlight homelessness will remain on view at the gallery throughout the month. Over 150 artists have contributed their compositions of drawings and paintings on a small piece of corrugated cardboard. Information about the artists and the exhibit can be found at www.gimmeshelter.co.uk. Rivet is open every day except Monday. Call 614-294-8697.
Kent and Tasi Rigsby are opening another restaurant in the Short North. The new eatery wil be called Home and is scheduled to open on September 1 at 680 N. Pearl St. shortly after Pistachio moves out of the space into their new location in German Village. Breakfast will be served all day beginning at 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week. In addition, sandwiches, home replacement meals, and items by the pound or the quart will be available for carryout and home delivery. Home will also serve as the only retail spot for the Eleni Christina bakery. “This is a way for us to bring our kitchen to other people without the pretense of servers. You can come in, have a casual meal at a lower price and then also be able to have it
delivered to your house,” said Tasi. The delivery will cater specifically to the Short North neighborhood. They can be reached at 614-222-0788 in September.
Zeta European Emporium, which closed in March after its owner Angelos Metsikas died, reopened on June 2 under the ownership of Bill and Lisa Chappel. Bill, who is Greek, grew up with the Mediterranean style foods, so when he saw the “For Sale” sign on the window, he said it peaked his interest. The big difference you’ll find at Zeta now is that they don’t have a lunch menu. However, all the usual staples – olives, feta cheese, dolmades, bakhlava, olive oil, pita bread, hommus – are available, as well as freshly brewed coffee for those who want to grab a chair. The Chappels hope to offer more convenience items once they receive input from customers, providing an alternative to UDF or the Giant Eagle. The store is located in the Short North at 751 N. High St. The hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Gazette jazz columnist Fritz Peerenboom and his wife Pat celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 15. The couple enjoyed dinner with family at La Scala Restaurant and shared a celebration in honor of this event the following day with friends at The Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe. “The only glitch in the whole two days,” said Fritz, “was the fact that we were seeing so many people – many of whom we hadn’t seen for a lot of years – that there just wasn’t enough time to really hang out with any of them.” Fritz and Pat first met in 1954 in a small Clintonville confectionary located on Erie Road where she was working while a student at Columbus Business School. The day he decided to ask her out he recalled looking “crappy” when he stopped by because he was in the process of moving into an apartment. He later called and invited her to a movie, but Pat’s boss, who knew Fritz and his two brothers, told her, “You can go out with his older brother and you can go out with his younger brother, but don’t go out with him.” That made it all the more intriguing, so she accepted his invitation. The couple married three years later at the Newman Center on the OSU campus in 1957 and now have five sons, ten granddaughters, three step-grandsons, and one great-grandson.
We extend our condolences to Gazette photographer Gus Brunsman III who suffered the loss of his father, August Elias Brunsman, Jr. Mr. Brunsman died June 19 at his home in Kettering at the age of 92. He was a graduate of The Ohio State University where he earned a journalism degree in 1937 and served as editor-in-chief of the Lantern for two years. He owned and operated Dayton Process Engravers, a photo-engraving company founded by his father. Mr. Brunsman and his wife Charlotte distinguished themselves as historians of the Wright Brothers (as printers and publishers) by authoring a number of publications on the subject, organizing exhibitions, and founding a group dedicated to the preservation and research of Dayton’s printing history.
On Paper, the Short North shop that sells everything related to paper, received the prestigious Carlson Craft award, recognizing exemplary excellence for 2006. Carlson Craft is the nation’s leading wholesale printing company. On Paper, located at 737 N. High St., will celebrate its 10th Anniversary in August with sales and demonstrations throughout the month. Owner Joan Schnee, who received a Fine Arts degree in set and costume design, began by manufacturing paper in her home, crafting collages and greeting cards for friends before opening the store. In addition to custom printing and design services, On Paper sells specialty papers, stationery, cards, journals, and accessories. Their inventory includes many unique and handmade items. Visit their Web site at www.onpaper.net or call 614-424-6617.
The Building Industry Association presented Sevell + Sevell, Inc., a print and Web site design firm located at 27 E. Russell St., with five Marketing and Merchandising Excellence (MAME) awards, the greatest number given to a non-builder or non-realtor member. In addition to the Grand Marketing Award, they received recognition for Outstanding Color Ad, Most Successful Black & White Ad, Best Billboard Design, and Most Valuable Community Brochure. Steve Sevell and his wife Beverly are former residents of the Short North where they purchased a home on Lincoln St. in 1981 and lived for 20 years. Their business was launched in the Short North on High Street in 1983, moved Downtown for 15 years, then returned here in January 2007 when they moved into the new E. Russell office. For further information, visit their Web site at www.sevell.com
A number of awards were presented at the sold-out Short North Gala held on June 17 at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The Short North Business Association awarded real estate developer Sandy Wood with the Short North Arts District Luminary Award for his involvement in helping shape the evolution of the Short North. For the past 25 years, Sandy Wood, owner of The Wood Companies, has dedicated his professional and personal life to making the Short North culturally rich while preserving its historic character. The SNBA also presented Diana Lessner, Bruce Dooley, Suzie Simpson, and Kent Rigsby with Unsung Hero Awards for their contribution to the quality of life in the neighborhood and for strengthening the spirit of the Short North through the promotion of art, community and diversity. Visit the SNBA Web site for an excellent overview of the event, including photographs: www.shortnorth.org©2007 Short North Gazette, Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.
